Impatiens plant named `Tropical Orange`

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens wallerana, and named `Tropical Orange` is provided. This new cultivar was the result of a controlled breeding program wherein a plant designated 447-1 (non-patented in the United States) was pollinated by a plant designated 52-2-1 (non-patented in the United States). The new cultivar is early blooming and forms in abundance attractive fully double orange blooms that possess a somewhat iridescent appearance. The foliage is dark green. The plant exhibits a good basal-branching character and exhibits a medium upright mounded growth habit. The new cultivar can be readily distinguished from the `Rosebud Orange` cultivar (non-patented in the United States) in view of the more compact growth habit and slightly larger flowers that are provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a new and distinctive Impatiens plant,botanically known as Impatiens wallerana, and hereinafter referred to bythe cultivar name `Tropical Orange`.

The new cultivar is the product of a planned breeding program. Morespecifically, the breeding program which resulted in the production ofthe new cultivar was carried out in a controlled environment duringSeptember, 1991, at Elburn, Ill., U.S.A. The female parent (i.e., theseed parent) was a plant designated 447-1 (non-patented in the UnitedStates) which exhibits lavender/rose semi-double flowers and mediumgreen foliage. The male parent (i.e., the pollen parent) was a plantdesignated 52-2-1 (non-patented in the United States) which exhibitsorange double flowers with medium green foliage. The parentage of thenew cultivar can be summarized as follows:

    447-1×52-1.

The seeds resulting from the above pollination were sown and plantletswere obtained which were physically and biologically different from eachother. Selective study resulted in the identification of a single plantof the new cultivar. This plant had distinctive fully double orangeblooms and initially was designated 759-2.

It was found that the new cultivar of the present invention:

(a) exhibits attractive fully double orange blooms in abundance,

(b) is early blooming,

(c) forms dark green foliage,

(d) exhibits a good basal-branching character, and

(e) exhibits a medium upright mounded growth habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by stem cuttings taken duringMay and September, 1993, and during October, 1994, at Elburn, Ill.,U.S.A., has demonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar asherein described are firmly fixed and are retained through succesivegenerations of such asexual propagation.

The `Tropical Orange` cultivar has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such astemperature, light intensity, and day length.

When the new cultivar of the present invention is compared to the`Rosebud Orange` cultivar (non-patented in the United States), it isfound that the new cultivar exhibits slightly large flowers (e.g.,approximately 4.0 to 4.2 cm. in diameter vs. approximately 3.7 to 4.1cm.), and a more compact habit (e.g., approximately 8.0 to 11.0 cm. inheight×approximately 19.0 to 25.0 cm. in width vs approximately17.0×21.0 cm. in height×approximately 25.0 to 29.0 cm. in width).

When plant material of the `Tropical Orange` cultivar is subjected tostandard random amplified polymorphic DNA marker analysis (RAPD) usingpolymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a known unique set of DNA primers,it is found to exhibit a different fingerprint map when compared to thatof `Rosebud Orange` cultivar which confirms its genetic distinctiveness.

Plants of the new cultivar will be marketed under the FIESTA trademarkby Geo. J. Ball, Inc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show the new `Tropical Orange` cultivarwith colors being as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to makethe same in color illustrations of this character. The plants were beinggrown in greenhouses at West Chicago, Ill. U.S.A.

FIG. 1 illustrates the general appearance of an overall plant as seenprimarily from above.

FIG. 2 illustrates the general appearance of a typical floret whensubjected to bright light.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is theR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England.The color values were determined on Jan. 3, 1995. The readings weretaken between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. under 2,000 footcandles of light atWest Chigaco, Ill., U.S.A. The plants were produced from cuttings takenfrom stock plants and were grown under greenhouse conditions comparableto those used in commercial practice while utilizing a soilless growthmedium and maintaining temperatures of approximately 72° F. during theday and approximately 65° F. during the night.

Propagation:

Type cutting.--Two or three vegetative node stem cuttings from near thecenters of the plants.

Time to initiate roots.--Approximately 7 to 14 days with the shortertimes generally being experienced in the summer and the longer times inthe winter.

Rooting habit.--Fibrous, and branching.

Plant description:

Habit of growth.--Basal-branching, and exhibits a medium upright mountedgrowth habit.

Form.--A mature plant at 8 weeks after the planting of a rooted cuttingcommonly measures approximately 8.0 to 11.0 cm. in height andapproximately 19.0 to 25.0 cm. in width compared to approximately 17.0to 21.0 cm. in height and approximately 25.0 to 29.0 cm. in width forthe `Rosebud Orange` cultivar.

Foliage.--The configuration is ovate with an acuminate tip. The leavesof the new cultivar commonly measure approximately 5.0 to 6.2 cm. inlength and approximately 3.7 to 4.0 cm. in width while those of the`Rosebud Orange` cultivar commonly measure approximately 5.5 to 6.5 cm.in length and approximately 3.6 to 4.5 cm. in width. The foliage of thenew cultivar is Yellow-Green Group 146A (adaxial) and Yellow-Green Group147C (abaxial). This can be compared to Green Group 137A (adaxial) andGreen Group 137B (abaxial) for the `Rosebud Orange` cultivar. The stemcolor is Green Group 143B with streaks of Greyed-Purple Group 185A whichcompares to Yellow-Green Group 144B for the `Rosebud Orange` cultivar.

Flower description:

Flowering habit.--Freely flowering. Small round buds become more ovalwith maturity and flowers open in a rose-like fashion.

Natural flowering season.--Early blooming and blooms throughout the yearin a greenhouse environment.

Flowers borne.--Slightly above the foliage.

Flower color.--Orange-Red Group 33B on fully opened petals with thecentral area of tightly packed petals of Orange-Red Group 33A (adaxial)and Orange-Red Group 33D (abaxial). Portions of the undersides of thebud petals may sometimes be lighter in coloration as illustrated inFIG. 1. This can be compared to Orange-Red Group 33B (adaxial) andOrange-Red Group 35B (abaxial) for the `Rosebud Orange` cultivar.

Quantity of flowers.--Very floriferous. A mature plant commonly istotally covered with blooms.

Number of petals.--Fully double and petals commonly are too numerous toreadily count.

Petal shape.--Round to oblong.

Flower size.--Approximately 4.0 to 4.2 cm. in diameter which can becompared to a diameter of approximately 3.7 to 4.1 cm. for the `RosebudOrange` cultivar.

Spur.--One per flower of approximately 3.5 to 3.6 cm. in length whichcan be compared to one per flower of approximately 3.4 to 3.7 cm. inlength for the `Rosebud Orange` cultivar.

Spur color.--Lighter than Orange-Red Group 33A for both the `TropicalOrange` cultivar and the `Rosebud Orange` cultivar.

Reproductive organs.--The stamens are multiple in number and the stylesand ovaries are generally typical of the species and non-distinctive.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Impatiens walerana plantnamed `Tropical Orange` substantially as herein shown and described,which:(a) exhibits attractive fully double orange blooms in abundance,(b) is early blooming, (c) forms dark green foliage, (d) exhibits a goodbasal-branching character, and (e) exhibits a medium upright moundedgrowth habit.